A Meeting Long Overdue
by Jessica Pendragon
Summary: Hawke drops in to have a chat with Cassandra.


The door to the forge banged open as Cassandra barreled through. The heat and smell of iron hit her even though the workers had gone for the day and the coals were quiet. There was nothing more calming than the sound of the hammers and the idea of forged steel, but she could not find respite even in these things today.

The Seeker's helmet crashed into the corner as she stormed passed her desk. An hour ago she had come very close to throwing a certain dwarf out the second story window before the Inquisitor stepped in. Since then, Cassandra spent a considerable effort turning the wooden dummies into toothpicks. She may have moved onto something else had not Cullen urged her to stop scaring his soldiers and take her personal explosion elsewhere.

Varric had been lying the whole time. Maybe the Inquisitor was right, but maybe Hawke could have done something to prevent all this from happening. Hawke was alive. Hawke was-

"So, I heard you were looking for me."

Cassandra whirled around, reaching for a sword that was no longer attached to her hip. Garrett Hawke materialized from thin air behind the Seeker's desk, sitting precariously on the back legs of the chair while leather boots made their home across important papers.

"Champion!"

Hawke spread his hands. "In the flesh. I am sure you have some questions for me. Where have I been? Why have I not helped? What really happened in Kirkwall? Why did I not stop all this from happening in the first place? How do I get my beard so majestic?"

"Some of those questions had crossed my mind," Cassandra replied. Hawke sprung to his feet and crossed in front of the desk. He gave her an appraising look and she did her best to remain planted firm with eyes like steel.

Hawke flashed her a sideways smile. "Varric was right, you are impressive."

"Varric said that about me?" Cassandra asked, her eyebrows shooting up.

"He also told me you were quite taken with my tale of defeating the Arishok. He said you described it as…romantic?" he said, raising a brow of his own.

Cassandra coughed into her hand, blaming the forge for the sudden heat on her cheeks. "Well…I, that is to say – I appreciate a good battle."

"That is one part I have asked him to embellish, I am afraid. Believe me when I tell you it was not pretty. But back to the matter at hand," Hawke pressed on. "I will not be answering any of your questions. I do not answer to you, and I certainly do not answer to the Inquisition. I will help defeat Corypheus and then when that is over I am gone. I know you wanted me to head this force, but you already have a leader so there is no reason for me to stay."

"The Inquisitor could always use another advisor. Who better than the one person that was there at the beginning? Truly, I am no longer looking for answers about the past, but how we can make the future better. We need you."

Hawke shook his head. "No. Even if you would have found me first, my answer would have been no."

Despite it all, this surprised the former Right Hand of the Divine. "But why?"

The rogue let out a heavy sigh and moved towards the window. Dusk was settling over Skyhold, but the castle was still bustling with activity below. "Have you been to Kirkwall lately? I am the champion of ashes, Seeker. If you want a regime brought down, if you want a world broken in half, I'm your man. I destroy everything I touch," he said, whispering the last phrase.

Cassandra followed after him shaking her head with conviction. "I do not believe that. It was not your doing that the Arishok took hold of the city and when Kirkwall fell you fought to restore order. You took responsibility for your actions, just as you are doing so now."

"Your optimism is appreciated but-" Hawke gestured outside. "I could not have built this. People like me do not have a place in the new world you are trying to create. Trust me, it is better this way."

"What will you do then?" asked Cassandra.

"You mean if we defeat a self-proclaimed god and manage to live? I do not know. Go and settle somewhere quiet, if that is possible. The truth is I am little tired of all this. It is time I bow out of the game before I do any more harm."

Cassandra remembered what Varric had said earlier. He claimed he did it all to protect his friend. The Seeker had not believed the mighty Champion of Kirkwall needed sheltered from anything, but maybe there was only so much destiny a person could take. "I may have made the mistake of forgetting that you are human as well."

"No, by all means keep idolizing me. Knowing I have a loyal fan sometimes gives me the push I need to get through the day. Especially one so…interesting. But may I ask a favor of you?"

"Yes?" Cassandra replied, a little breathless.

Hawke leaned in close, daring to touch his knuckles against her cheek. "Try not to rough Varric up again. I know he can be seven hells of exasperating, but he is my favorite dwarf. And, if you wish, maybe I would not mind answering some of your questions someday after all. Goodnight, Seeker." Hawke offered her a wink before leaping backwards out into the mountain air. Cassandra gave a startled gasp before looking down into the courtyard, but Hawke was nowhere to be found.

Without thinking, she raised a glove to her cheek and a silly smile made a home on her lips. When she realized what she was doing, Cassandra dropped her hand and made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. "Rogues."


End file.
